Baretable trains...which are trains that have empty well cars used for hauling (intermodal) containers...are some of the lowest priority trains on any railroad. They do not generate any revenue as the railroad is just relocating the empty cars. A single power-shared BNSF C44-9W is the power on this southbound, getting ready to leave the siding at Platteville.
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A UP conductor from on the southbound baretable gives a roll by to the northbound North Yard, CO to Green River, WY. Many of the cars on the northbound manifest are likely headed for Salt Lake City, and once would have run over the Moffat on the MNYRO. But it is has been several years since the MNYRO ran.
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The conductor on a southbound baretable is on the ground to give a "roll by" to the northbound manifest that just knocked down the signal at the south end of Platteville. The southbound baretable is in fact a UP train, even though it is led by a BNSF C44-9W.
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The sun is getting low in the western sky as a southbound UP manifest overtakes a southbound military train sitting in the siding. The manifest, UP's MGRNY originated in Green River, WY and is headed for North Yard. The military train is going to have to run south through North Yard as well, so I am not sure why the military train is being run around.
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With the advent of LED lighting technology, new block signals now use LED rather than traditional incandescent bulbs. The LEDs are more reliable, more energy efficient, and far brighter. As you can see, similar to LED stoplights, any one color is actually composed of dozens of LED lights. This is the northbound control signal at the south end of Platteville on the UP Greeley Sub.
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After meeting a northbound unit auto train, whose last car is just barely visible in the distance, UP 7219 has set its headlight to dim as they have been informed by the dispatcher that they will be sitting here in Platteville for next few hours.
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While UP 7219 sits at the south end of Platteville, looking at a red signal, a farmer in a tractor distributes some lime on his field in preparation for planting next season.
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The crew on UP 6787 (the sole unit on a northbound empty auto train) waits for a southbound military train to clear the north switch so they can continue north toward Cheyenne.
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UP AC4400CWs meet each other at Platteville. UP 6787 is leading a northbound (empty) unit auto rack train on the main and UP 7219 is leading a southbound loaded military rain in to the siding.
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At the north switch of Platteville, a long military train takes the siding. A northbound unit auto train that originated at Rolla (just north of Denver) is on the main.
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Slowly rolling north on the main at Platteville, a unit auto rack train with only a single AC4400CW for power approaches a red signal at the north end. The train is meeting a southbound military train that will be holding the siding in Platteville for the next few hours.
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UP 2047 is one of numerous rebuilt SD40-2s on UP's roster in 2023. The unit now carries the designation SD40N, indicating that it has in fact gone through the rebuild program. Great to see one is arguable the most reliable diesel-electric unit ever built still in active service.
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Just north of the town of Platteville along US-85, UP 9006 leads three other units on an 8,000-foot manifest. UP 9006 is a "Tier-4 Credit Unit". UP, like many Class 1 railroads, used carbon credits to purchase some Tier-3 compliant units after the deadline.
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Visitors far from home lead a coal empty north on the UP Greeley Sub at Platteville, about 35 miles north of Denver. Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merged earlier this year, creating CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City), so it is not too surprising that the leased power has a unit from each road represented.
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A northbound coal empty is moving at track speed at the south end of Platteville, meeting a southbound sitting in the siding.
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